Tag Archives: health & fitness expo

This past weekend, I attended the annual Health & Fitness Expo at Metlife Stadium…and it was bigger & better than ever before!! In fact, this collage doesn’t even begin to justify how amazing it truly was.

As usual some of the NY Giants, past and present, were on hand for the weekend’s festivities. Fans were able to walk the field, kick a field goal, run the ball, tour the locker room, see the championship trophies, and even meet some of the players. Truly a priceless experience for any football fan, young or old.

For the fitness buffs on hand, there were so many different classes…for all different skill sets. Everything from zumba to grit and much more in between. They even some classes geared towards children. Former Giant and fitness guru, Steve Weatherford, was on hand again this year for both days of the event. Weatherford is truly the nicest guy you will ever meet. He goes out of his way to make sure he is making everyone happy – whether it’s with a motivational speech or by taking countless pictures with fans. Last year, I was able to catch him just walking on the field…and the photo I got isn’t the best. So this year, I decided to wait on an actual line and do things the right way. The result was priceless.

Living the dream…Super Bowl ring included 😉

Besides the football fan experience, the best part of this expo, for me, is to be able to meet so many people throughout the fitness industry. I love talking to people and hearing their stories and their perspective. We can all learn something…so why not learn from one another?! You can also learn about different products and companies…which as a fitness coach, is extremely beneficial. I’d like to know what products my clients are using…and exactly what it is that they are putting in their bodies.

I got to test out some of the products too. That famous “tea” which is all over Instagram…I have no idea why anyone would pay for something so vile. It’s truly disgusting. You want to detox??? Eat clean and go sweat it out. Stop the madness people. Seriously. Another thing I saw was that stomach wrap. Ladies…I realize you want flat stomachs and small waists but go to the gym. There is no need to harm your insides wearing a contraption that won’t make you lose weight. Will it make you sweat? Probably…but that’s about it. You will end up doing more harm than good in the long run. Also seen….Isotonix. I have heard people say that they use their shakes so I went over to see what the fuss was about. The man promoting this spoke of his a lifestyle, which consisted of drinking a shake for breakfast and dinner…AND eating extremely unhealthy at lunch. Really?! I can go on and on about shakes but the bottom line is this – they won’t work long term. You and I both know you will not live on them…so once the food comes back…so will the weight. It’s not only an unhealthy way of living…it’s extremely unrealistic for sustainable weight loss.

It wasn’t all bad though. I got some awesome & healthy samples of things such as almonds, apple slices, and sugar free chocolate covered cranberries! I was able to learn more about Nature’s Own vitamins and was given an entire book detailing every one of their supplements. I also met a lady named Susan, who works with a supplement company called ID Life. She was not only extremely sweet…she was realistic about the products. She gave me her own experience with the products and explained how it can be applied to real life. She also gave me some samples, which I will be testing out and reviewing in the weeks to come…so stay tuned!

As always, this expo went down as another amazing experience filled with lots of networking and football fun. If you are in the NY/NJ area, you should definitely make plans to attend next year’s extravaganza. Every year it gets bigger & better! Next year, I am hoping to be part of the expo & perhaps have my own table where I can offer advice & coaching to the masses! A girl can dream…and with this expo the possibilities are endless and the experiences are priceless.

Another year…another PHENOMENAL Health & Fitness expo. The annual event took place last weekend (June 27-28) at Metlife Stadium. I attended last year’s expo and while that was great…this one was even better.

I attended on Sunday and my first mission was to meet NY Giants punter and fitness guru, Steve Weatherford. I knew from Instagram that he would be at the expo beginning at 9am to host a yoga class. Since I had no interest in that, my plan was to get there right after. So, I walked into the stadium around 10 and made a bee-line for the field. Participants of the expo get to walk on the very field that the NY giants play on. I must say, as lifelong Giants fan, that’s a very cool experience! Anyway, I made my way to the field and asked several people where I could find Weatherford. Then he appeared…on his segway. He signed autographs, took pictures, and chatted up the fans. He even went to get his Superbowl ring to let a child pose with. I finally got my chance to meet him next. I wanted to ask him questions for this blog but he didn’t really seem interested, as he was in a rush to catch a flight back to his adorable kids. He did say his motivation comes from “living the dream” and no one can argue that.

After that, I headed to the locker room. Another very cool feature of this expo is that fans can tour the locker room and see how their favorite players spend the season. You can even walk onto the field in the same spot and touch the same sign that the Giants touch before every game!

Geeking out in front of my favorite player’s locker!

Next up I decided to make my way around to see what vendors were there and who I could network with. I met a very sweet lady who runs a company called Eat 2 Elite. She started her company after years of creating healthy meals to feed her athlete son. She makes all of the food herself and has some pretty enticing options to choose from.

I continued on, watched several demos and made my way past several other vendors before taking part in my annual BMI/body fat screening.

Now…I know that I do weigh slightly more and that I haven’t done nearly as much cardio as last year. However these machines do not account for muscle mass. They punch in your weight and height and determine (very inaccurately) that you are fat. I was pretty devastated after I got my reading…especially knowing how hard I work. But that’s just it. I know I work hard. The scale is just a number…and while you need that number for these readings…the number doesn’t reflect my muscle mass or my year of progress in the gym. I’m sure I could lose a few pounds but they really made me feel like crap…unnecessarily.

After my reading I decided to cheer myself up and take a little tour of the Legacy Suite. There you will find signed footballs, trophies, and much more.

I stopped to sit for a bit and I bumped into my Biggest Loser friend, Pam Geil. I have spoken at great length about what The Biggest Loser has done for my journey. Well, Pam was on the season that started it all…and she was one of my biggest inspirations. I always get excited when I see her and she actually remembers me. We talked for a while about life…and all about our injuries and setbacks. She asked me to stay as she was going to be going on stage to speak…so of course I did.

During her talk, she was asked how she maintains and keeps a healthy lifestyle. She explained that being on the show doesn’t keep the weight off; she struggles with it…and works at it…everyday. She added that one of the biggest misconceptions people have is about cheat meals. “Everyone has a bad meal or a cheat meal but that doesn’t mean you have to blow the whole day,” she said, “Every day and every meal is a new beginning. You can’t give up.”

Since I have been struggling with an injury recently, I asked her to shine some light on how she stays motivated through injuries. “It can be really hard to stay motivated, especially when you’re in chronic pain or you don’t feel good,” she said, “I think it’s really good to look back at old pictures. Remember where you are and how far you’ve come.” She added that since her own injury, some weight has come back on. While that can be frustrating she pushes forward, knowing that she never wants to be that person again.

There weren’t any classes that I was interested in this year but there was a NASCAR race car. Since I love cars and I’m a big Nascar fan, this is yet another incredible feature of this expo for me. I posed for a picture and happily got into the car for the simulated race experience that was offered.

All in all, this was another fantastic experience. The weather may have been crappy but that sure didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit. Next year, I think I will inquire about volunteering so that I can be an even bigger part of this amazing expo.

If you know of any health or fitness expos being held in the NY tri-state area, please let me know! For those of you not in this area, definitely look into the expos that are being held where you live. They are an amazing opportunity to learn about the industry, meet some great people, and just have a fitness-themed family fun day 🙂